Wrist strap



atented Dec. 30, i942 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE WRIST STRAP Kenneth E. shearon, Wilmette, nl. Application February 12, 1945, Serial No. 577,517

7 Claims.

This invention relates to wrist bands suitable for wrist watches and the like and particularly a wrist band suited to fabrication from thin, resilient, flexiblesheet material.

Wrist bands of the type in consideration, made'f from thin, resilient sheet material such as stainless steel, because of the absence of the usual pli- I ability of leather and other often used materials,

are in many instances provided with buckles I which are complicated, unusual in operation, and fnot readily operable. It is an object of the present invention to provide in a metallic strip band, a buckle that is extremely simple, easy to operate Another object of the invention is to provide a buckle and strap which may be readily stamped from ordinary thin resilient sheet metal or like material and thereafter economically assembled.`

A further object of the invention is to provide a buckle and strap which is pleasing in appearance and not bulky, and which may be taken off or placed upon the wrist of the wearer by the simple sliding of the ends into overlapping position.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear more fully from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understood, however, that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a denition of the limits of the together in any desired position by reason of a novel buckle, generally indicated at I9.

In order to render the strap adjustable lengthwise at the buckle, the tongue portion 2S of the strap I is perforated by a series of apertures 22, through any one of which a hook 24 may be projected. The vhook 24, is formed on the end of a narrow longitudinally extending ringer or strip 26, having at its other end a transverse flat collar 28, slideably arranged upon the tongue 2l). The hook is sulciently small to be readily extended through any one of the apertures 22 and may be resiliently flexed or slightly inclined to facilitate such insertion.

The hook 24 is adapted to reach through one of the apertures 22 only a sufficient distance to receive easily the thickness of the metal from which the buckle frame 3i] is formed. The buckle shown in Figure 2 lies as nearly flat as possible,

i sleeve 3S is slidably arranged on the strap I2, and

invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings wherein similar reference char.- acters refer to similar parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the wrist band as it would appear when worn on the wrist,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the buckle,

Figure 3 is a top plan View of the buckle,

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the buckle, and

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the buckle with the ends separated.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figure 1, the strap will be seen as composed of `two strap members I0 and I2, joined through a Watch I4, through the rolled loops I6 and I8. The straps may be made of noncorrosive metal such as stainless steel, having resiliency, but also capable of being deformed to closely conform to the contour of the wearers wrist. The strap members are adapted to be overlapped and secured is adapted to betelescoped over the tongue 25J, up toward the rolled eye 32 to clamp the strap I2 and tongue 20 lightly together and hold all the parts in buckled relation.

The ease with which the parts may be buckled together and released is shown in Figure 5. By sliding the sleeve 3B to the right, the straps may be moved toward one another to allow the buckle to be released from the hook 24 and lifted slightly, after which the parts are readily separated. To clasp the parts together it is only necessary to extend the tongue 20 through the buckle window 3| and thereafter hook the buckle 30 on the hook 24, after which the sleeve 36 is moved to the postion shown in Figure 2.

The hook 24 may have been previously positioned in the proper aperture to provide the degree of snug fit desired by the wearer. The parts, in assembling, approach one another in practically their normal buckled position permitting the operation previously described without danger of pinching or producing any discomfort whatsoever. The band may be Worn more snugly for this reason. At no point are there more than two layers of overlapped metal for any distance so that flexibility is not seriously impaired, and once the band is formed or molded to fit the wearer, by springing the metal beyond its elastic limit, the fit is so perfect and the weight so slight that the wearer is hardly conscious of its presence.

It will be readily apparent that all the parts are readily formed from thin sheet metal if desired. Also, if desired, the hook sleeve 28, and telescoping sleeve 36, may be soldered or otherwise secured where the ends meet, as seen in Figure 4. However, the sleeves should have a sliding t neither -too loose nor too tight, so that once positioned,they will remain in such position.

Although but a single modification of ltheinvention has been shown anddescribed, it is to .be understood that various alterations, and changes in proportion and selection of material .may be made witho-ut departing from the spirit of the invention, as will be V-well understood by those skilled in the art. `Reference will therefore be had to the appended claimsfor a definition of the limits oi the invention.

What is claimed is: 1. A buckle for Securing wrist Watches and .the

Ylike tothe arm, comprising a ypair of thin, flexible resilient wrist band end members vadapted Ato partially overlap one. another and to be secured together in overlappedrelation, one of saidv members having an end tongue. and a series of perforations longitudinally arranged therealong,

a-slideable collar arranged upon said member having a linger extending along the underside of said member, and said nger having a vhook formed in the end thereof :adapted tobe projected through any selectediperforation a vsumcient distance to constitute a hook-on theupper side of said member, and the -other of said members having a substantially rectangularbuckle frame pivoted at the end thereof, said-,frame being adapted to receive said tongue and to slide therealong and to engage said hook, and a sleeve, slideable on said buckle carrying 4member adapted to be slid along Vsaid member and over thesaid end tongue of the iirst mentioned member.

2. A buckle for securing vWristwatches and the like to the arm, comprising apairvof thin, ilexible resilient wrist band end members adapted to partially overlap one another and to be se-v cured togetherin overlapped relation, one of sai-:l nmembers terminating in a tongue and having an outward and rearwardly extending. hookV short of lthe end thereof, and the. othermember having .a substantially rectangular buckle fra-me. pivoted.

at the end `thereof andadapted to receive said tongue, and to slide therealong to engage said hook, and a sleeve slideable en saidbuckle carrying member adapted to be slid along said member and over the said end tongue of the nrst men- -tioned member to hold Athe `members in light,

resilient engagement thereby. resisting loosening 'of the buckle.

3. A buckle for securing wrist watches andthe like to the arm, comprising a pair of thin, flexible member, and having a hook Vformed in the end of said ngeradapted Ato be` projected vthrough any. selected perforation, the other` of saidmembers having asubstantially rectangularbu'ckle -ble resilient wrist band endmembers adapted frame pivoted at the end thereof, said frame be-s ing adapted to receive said tongue and to slide therealong and to engage said hook, and a sleeve slidable on said buckle carrying member adapted to be slid along said member and over the said end tongue of the first mentioned member to hold the members in light resilient engagement thereby resisting loosening of the buckle.

4. A buckle for securing wrist watches and the like to the arm, comprising a pair 0f thin, flexito partially overlap one another and to be sel[cured together in overlapped relation, one of `said members terminating in a tongue and hav- Ving an outward and rearwardly extending hook :'shortoffthefend thereof, and the other member havingasubstantially rectangular buckle frame vstamped from sheet material, one edge of which Ais received in a, ilattened rolled eye formed in the end of the member, and the other edge of which Y isadapted to be passed over said tongue to engage rsa-id hook, said frame being bent slightlyv along `a central transverse line, to provide a portion to lie flat on the outside cf said tongue, and a portion to extend diagonally across said tongueand pass beneath said tongue.

5. A buckle for securing wrist watches and the like to the arm, comprising a pair of. thin, ilexible resilient wrist band endmernbers adapted to partially overlap one another and to be secured together in overlapped relation, one ofsaid members terminating in a tongue and having an outward and rearwardly extending hook short of the end thereof, and the ether memberhaving a substantially rectangular sheet vmaterial Vbuckle frame, ene edge ef which is received in aflattened rolled eye formed in theA `end vof theV member, and vthe other edgeofwhich is adaptedto be passed over said tongue to engage sadjhook, said frame being bent slightlyalong ,a Acentral transverse line, to provide a portion' to lie flat en the outside of said tongue, and a portion to .extend diagonallyacro-ss said tongueand pass beneath said tongue, and a sleeve, Vslideable'on said buckle carrying member adapted to' be slid along sad member and over the said' end tongue of the first mentioned member.

6. YA buckle for securing wrist watches and the like to the arm, Comprising a pair'of thin, flexible resilient wrist band end members adapted to partially overlap one another and to be secured together in overlapped relation, one of saidV members having an end tongue and a series of perforations longitudinallv arranged there'dong,` a slideable collar and finger arrangedjupon said member, and having Aafhook' forme`d in the end of said ringer adapted to be @projected through any selected perforation, and the other of said members having a substantially rectangular buckle frame pivoted at' the end thereof, said frame being adapted to receive said tongue Y,and to slide therealong and to engage said hoek, said frame being bent slightly along a central transverse line to provide a portion t0 lieflat on` the outside of said. tongue, and a portion to extend diagonally across said tongue and pass beneath said tongue, and a sleeve, slideable on said buckle carrying member adapted to be slid along said member` andover the said .end tongue of the "irst mentioned member.

7. A buckle forsecuring wrist watches andthe like to the arm, comprising a pair of thin flexible .resilient wrist band end members adapted kto partially overlap one another and to be secured together in overlapped relation, `one of saidmem- 5 bers terminating in a tongue and having a series of perforations arranged centrally and along the length thereof, and the other member having a substantially rectangular buckle frame stamped from sheet metal t0 form a frame having side portions and transverse portions, one transverse portion of which is received in a rolled eye formed in the end of the member, and the other transverse portion of which is Wider than said rst named transverse portion and is adapted to be passed over said tongue, means cooperating with said Wider portion of said frame and one of said perforations to resist movement of said frame along said tongue, said side portion of said frame being bent slightly to enable said last named wide portion to lie flat on the outside surface of said tongue, and said side portions to extend diagonally across the edges of said tongue and With the one transverse portion beneath said tongue, and a slidable flat sleeve on the other 20 6 gage and hold said members at against one another,

KENNETH E. SHEARON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 639,048` Hubbard Dee. 12, 1899 1,415,366 ling May 9, 1922 1,658,053 Kollstede Feb. 7, 1923 `1,733,538 Herschede Oct. 29, 1929 1,893,056 Hodges Jan. 3, 1933 2,054,840 Statham Sept. 22, 1936 2,106,540 Smith Jan. 25, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 289,750 Great Britain May 3, 1928 

